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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26433697">Don't Leave</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/super_powerful_queen_slayyna/pseuds/super_powerful_queen_slayyna'>super_powerful_queen_slayyna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stay With Me [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Ficandchips, Fluff, Introspection, Pete's World (Doctor Who), Pete's World Torchwood, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:14:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,054</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26433697</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/super_powerful_queen_slayyna/pseuds/super_powerful_queen_slayyna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“I never should’ve let you go alone in the first place.”</i>
</p><p>  <i>“So now you can’t even trust me to handle myself. Maybe we just shouldn’t work together!”</i></p><p>  <i>“It’s not about trust, Rose. I was trying to keep you alive.”</i></p><p> </p><p>Or the consequences of their separation come to head.</p><p> </p><p>  <b>Can be read independently.</b></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Metacrisis Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stay With Me [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904362</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Don't Leave</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isolus_girl/gifts">Isolus_girl</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Yes, yes, I'm late I know. Sue me.</p><p>It would be nice if you read part one but if you don't want to, all you need to know is Rose has accepted Tentoo as the Doctor and they have been happy.</p><p>Thank you to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/more1weasley">Juliet</a> for helping with the plot and <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockyMountainRattlesnake">Snake</a> and <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/dame_doctor">Nyxxie</a> who helped me with the technobabble and names.</p><p>And of course my beta <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessJesstheBest">Jess</a> who had boundless patience. Let's just say my first draft would be a completely different fic.</p><p>Okay, on with the story!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rose was fuming.</p><p>She had sequestered herself away in the kitchen and was scrubbing vigorously at the utensils from breakfast. Strictly speaking, they didn’t need that much attention.</p><p>But she was angry at the Doctor and needed something to do that wasn’t yelling at him because he’d only shout back and she hated fighting with him.</p><p>She scowled down at the lipstick mark she spied on the plate she’d just picked up.</p><p>The day had begun so lovely.</p><p>Rose had woken up the smell of breakfast wafting in through the doorway of the bedroom. The Doctor didn’t need as much sleep but he usually stayed in bed until she woke up and together they’d make breakfast or make love. On occasion, when he was in the mood or was bored, he would go ahead and start cooking without her. But without fail, on the rare days that she was up before him - some experiment or the TARDIS probably kept him up late - she would wake him up with breakfast in bed.</p><p>After getting ready for the day, Rose had made her way to the kitchen to find the Doctor dancing to some imaginary tune in his head in front of a pot on the stove. She had walked up and wrapped him in a hug from behind.</p><p>“Oh, hello,” he’d greeted, “Thought I heard the shower running.”</p><p>“Mmm. What we havin’?” she peeked from under his arm.</p><p>“Poached eggs and bacon on a crumpet. It’s a pity you didn’t get here a minute ago, your poached eggs are perfect.”</p><p>“It’s just eggs, Doctor.”</p><p>“Yeah, but yours have a little extra love on them,” he winked down at her.</p><p>Rose shook her head fondly at him. Then, spotting the plates set up on the counter, she went over and pressed her lips to the edge. Turning back to him, she gave him her tongue-touched smile. “How’s that for love?”</p><p>“Hmm, dunno. I’d have to sample it directly, I think.”</p><p>The eggs had turned out to be a little rubbery in the end, but it still was an amazing start to the day.</p><p>It had been later that morning where it all went wrong.</p><p>It had been an all out field operation. A whole neighbourhood had been evacuated to catch the Arcturian that had broken into the Torchwood database to steal files from the <em>Department of Extraterrestrial Contact and Welcome</em> (formerly <em>Extraterrestrial Management and Control</em> but changed when the Doctor came on board, the nickname went from <em>EMaC</em> to the <em>Welcome Wagon</em>).</p><p>The information stolen was top secret and sensitive. Hacking into their database was high profile already, but measures taken to catch the alien were even more drastic because the surveillance team had identified a <em>human-made</em> shock collar around the Arcturian’s neck. This alien was clearly just a victim, plausibly working for one of Pete’s rivals.</p><p>The Doctor had identified the alien species and warned everyone the alien was dangerous. He had explained him as a cone snail hybrid. “They have a harpoon that comes out from underneath their shells and injects you with a paralytic that can be fatal. But they can only do it once before they need to recharge. So, no less than two people approach him at any time. Remember he’s a victim, so reason with him from more than five meters away, but the shock collar could make him desperate and therefore deadly. Be careful.”</p><p>The alien was humanoid. He could’ve passed for a human if it weren’t for the small rhombus and circular shapes patterning his visible skin, like spots on a leopard. The shell on his back was covered with it.</p><p>They had managed to disable his getaway car but he still managed to slip away. “How is he running so fast with that big thing on his back?” Rose asked as they had to race to his location in a car.</p><p>“Arcturians have that shell their whole lives, it grows as they do. It’s just like another limb for them.”</p><p>They had cornered him into an apartment complex. The team were to patrol the perimeter which left Rose and the Doctor to flush him out. The Doctor had clearly hated it but he suggested splitting to cover more ground and find the Arcturian, with the understanding to call the other when they’d found him.</p><p>“<em>Don’t</em> go in by yourself,” the Doctor had reminded her.</p><p>That had been the point of no return.</p><p>Jake had put Dr Malcolm Taylor over the comms.</p><p>“Director Tyler, I thought you should know. We have a theory of who the alien might have been coerced into working for. Six months ago, a UFO crashed into the Rollins estate. Based on the visual data that we have, the Doctor has confirmed that it is indeed an Arcturian ship.”</p><p>
  <em>Rollins. Shit.</em>
</p><p>“Thank you, Malcolm.”</p><p>“Ma’am.”</p><p>And the ‘<em>six months’</em> hadn’t escaped her either. The ship had crashed during her dimension-hopping days, when everyone had been too occupied with her to investigate a crashed spaceship. Pete had ordered that all efforts need to be concentrated on her project when it had started yielding results and she had actually glimpsed the Doctor through a screen.</p><p>This was her fault.</p><p>Derek Rollins was their rival. Publicly, they were friends but of course, being <em>Pete Tyler’s</em> daughter came with its perks and inside information. Derek was self-serving and as he liked to call himself, ‘pragmatic’. In other people’s words, it meant he didn’t care about the <em>means</em> so as it got him the <em>ends</em>.</p><p>And now an innocent was <em>shock-collared</em> and made to steal information on extraterrestrials for god knows what.</p><p>This had driven Rose into doing something stupid.</p><p>She directly disobeyed the Doctor’s safety instructions.</p><p>Hearing shuffling down the corridor, Rose cautiously made her way, checking each door that she came across. Finally, two doors before the hallway veered left, she saw him. The alien was clearly trying to contact someone through the collar around his neck. Stepping back, she alerted the Doctor over the earpiece.</p><p>“Got him. I’m in Block A, second floor, left of the staircase.”</p><p>“I’m on my way, keep him distracted but keep your distance.”</p><p>Rose moved herself into view. She surreptitiously engaged her universal translator.</p><p>“Hey,” Rose said, carefully, “I’m here to help. I don’t want to hurt you.”</p><p>The Arcturian snapped his head up. She noted he shifted his legs wider and braced.</p><p>“Look, I’m Rose Tyler. And I know you didn’t want to steal those files,” she indicated to the USB stick clutched in his palm. “You’re being forced. I’m unarmed,” she indicated to herself. “I can help.”</p><p>He just stared, but Rose spotted some hesitancy in his eyes. She took a step closer against her better judgement.</p><p>“What’s your name?” she hedged.</p><p>“Zyalibrik Tenzee.”</p><p>Another step.</p><p>“Hi, Zyalibrik. Rollins is making you do something you don’t want to. I’m from Torchwood. We can help you escape him.”</p><p>Another.</p><p>“You can’t help, he is very powerful and hurt me. I’m trapped here,” Zyakibrik emphasized.</p><p>One more.</p><p>Rose had to get him to trust her. “Why don’t I take a look at your collar? I’m sure I can work out how to remove it.”</p><p>Two meters.</p><p>“No!” he insisted. “He will <em>know.</em>”</p><p>Her guilt pushed her. So she pushed him.</p><p>“Okay, I won’t touch. But come back with me. We have enough cause to go after Rollins, he’ll be taken down very soon. Torchwood agents should be on their way now.”</p><p>The final straw. And she was standing too close.</p><p>“Don’t hurt my master!” he roared and reared back.</p><p>There was a flash of movement behind him and Rose reacted. She dived and rolled, ending up on her feet when her back slammed against the wall. She’d missed the harpoon. <em>Barely</em>. She was positive it flew through her hair.</p><p>“<em>No!</em>”</p><p>Rose had been disoriented for a span of a few seconds, but that had been enough to miss that the Doctor had appeared, knocked Zyalibrik off his feet and was now standing over a struggling alien as he dug out his handcuffs and snapped them onto the wrists held in his hand.</p><p>He looked up at her, then, and Rose’s chest seized up. The Doctor was seething, his eyes were hard and his chest moved rapidly. But she suspected it wasn’t from exertion.</p><p>Staring at her, the Doctor twisted his leg and there was a sickening crunch as Zyalibrik cried out in pain. Only then did Rose notice that the Doctor was stepping on the alien's harpoon flinging appendage, still exposed from its shell after attacking her.</p><p>The Doctor had mistreated a guileless victim. It pissed Rose off.</p><p>“What’d you do that for?”</p><p>He ignored her and told Jake to wrap up the operation. Yanking the Arcturian up, he marched them down and out the building and to the waiting car.</p><p>He didn’t speak to her at all on the way back and all through the interrogation. Still, they managed to find out that Rollins was holding Tenzee’s spaceship as a hostage for obtaining the files. The collar had been additional incentive, used to torture the alien into compliance.</p><p>A fake meeting set up between Pete and Rollins to talk about investments dragged him away from the estate, giving the Torchwood agents time to raid it. It took two hours of searching but they found the spaceship and Rollins’ plan to use it to “expand my business in the great beyond” as he proclaimed in the meeting with Pete. They put him behind bars (“Like he’ll stay in there long,” Rose scoffed to Jake) and confiscated anything extraterrestrial on his estate. Zyalibrik was promised the hospitality of the <em>Welcome Wagon</em> and complimentary upgrades to his ship so he could get back to his planet when he had recovered. Physically and emotionally. They had on-site therapists. Therapy was mainly for staff but if they could help, the psychologists weren’t opposed to treating any extraterrestrial visitors.</p><p>It was well into the night when the case was considered closed and Pete dismissed everyone, telling them they could complete the necessary paperwork the next day.</p><p>The rising tension that had been coiling between Rose and the Doctor finally cracked wide open on the car ride home.</p><p>“You didn’t have to hurt him! You said you were going to disable his venom sac with the sonic. Why’d you have to break his harpoon-thing?”</p><p>“<em>Proboscis</em>. And he’ll heal in a few days. Made him cooperate faster, didn’t I?”</p><p>“That wasn’t necessary! He was just scared of being trapped and what <em>that dick</em> would do to him! <em>You’re</em> the one who said he was just a victim. It’s a miracle he spoke to us at all!”</p><p>“Well, <em>maybe</em> I wouldn’t have to if someone didn’t blatantly disregard my instructions and her own safety! I <em>told</em> you to wait! I was just two minutes away!”</p><p>“He could’ve escaped and I was right there.”</p><p>“Rose, you were <em>two meters</em> away from him. And so what if he escaped? We had a perimeter set up, for fuck’s sake! You were to distract him until I neutralized the toxin. You had <em>no</em> reason to get that close!”</p><p>“I was trying to help him, Doctor! Isn’t that what we do? Or do you just give up and practice unnecessary cruelty now?”</p><p>“I never should’ve let you go alone in the first place.”</p><p>“So now you can’t even trust me to handle myself. Maybe we just shouldn’t work together!” she snarled at him.</p><p>The Doctor shut his mouth with an audible click. The leather of the steering wheel squeaked as he tightened his grip on it. “It’s not about trust, Rose,” he said, quietly. “I was trying to keep you alive.”</p><p>The rest of the trip passed in ringing silence, much more deafening than it had been during the day. He broke that silence right before they entered their house and parted ways.</p><p>The Doctor hadn’t met her eyes.</p><p>“If you think it’s better without me, I’ll resign as your partner. Just promise me you’ll be safe.”</p><p>Shaking her head, Rose turned around and leaned against the counter with a sigh. She ran her thumb beneath the pink mark on the porcelain.</p><p>She hadn’t realised that it hurt him so much when she suggested they become independent. It had come out at the heat of the moment, she didn’t truly mean it. They had been an amazing team once and it hadn’t changed since their reunion.</p><p>The truth of the situation was that Rose had grown accustomed to relying only on herself in their time apart. She’d jumped alone. There was never going to be someone to come save her. It was just her against the decaying universe to find the one man who could fix it.</p><p>And she’d done it! Doctor found, multiverse fixed, happily ever after. She didn’t need to be independent anymore. He was always going to be by her side now.</p><p>It just took some getting used to.</p><p>Rose begrudgingly conceded that the Doctor had been right about the alien escaping. Their agents were competent and the only reason Pete had wanted Rose and the Doctor on the case was to reduce the risk of failure. But she was still angry at the Doctor for the pain he caused. He said the Arcturians had one go before they needed to recharge. And she had dodged the harpoon. There had been no need -</p><p>Rose violently shivered like the temperature in the room had dropped ten degrees, the plate in her hand falling and smashing all over the floor.</p><p>Something bad was happening.</p><p>She had to find him.</p><p>Rose <em>had</em> to find the Doctor.</p><p>Running through the house, she called out to him. Just as she reached the stairs, she heard him.</p><p>“Out here.”</p><p>Rose found the Doctor in the garden, reclined against the wall, looking as tired as his voice sounded, with his eyes closed.</p><p>“Did you - ” she started.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Is he - ”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>Rose walked over and copied his stance beside him. Only, she gazed up into the sky.</p><p>The Time Lord was regenerating.</p><p>And they could feel it in their bones.</p><p>“How many does he have left?” she asked quietly.</p><p>“That’s it, it’s his last one. One last go.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Normally, the Doctor would comfort her. It was a testament to their fight that he kept his hands to himself.</p><p>“Do you think he’s alone?” she asked tentatively. They were talking, not shouting, and she wanted to keep that going. It was also to psych herself up to say what she needed to.</p><p>He sighed and opened his eyes slightly. But he still didn’t look at her. “Yes, but not for long now. I suspect he’ll find someone soon enough.”</p><p>“Oh, okay. Good, I guess.” Rose wondered how long it had been for him since that day. For all she knew, being in a time machine meant he could’ve been on his own for decades. Her heart constricted.</p><p>At least it was over now.</p><p>God, what a terrible thought.</p><p>Rose was pulled out of herself when the Doctor beside her chuckled wryly.</p><p>"You know, everyone present on that beach knew how the sentence ended, even you. I only whispered the words so he wouldn’t have to hear them. It was a kindness and gratitude for giving me you. It was probably the last bit of genuine kindness he received."</p><p>That Doctor had given her a <em>life</em> and she wasn’t going to waste it fighting.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she said softly, finally addressing the issue at hand.</p><p>His half-lidded eyes finally slid over to her. They were soulful and pained.</p><p>“I shouldn’t’ve said that. I didn’t mean it. Of course, you trust me to handle myself. And I love working with you, love knowing that you always have my back. I understand that you were just trying to keep me safe, Doctor, but it still doesn’t excuse you injuring Zyalibrik.”</p><p>The Doctor sucked in a sharp breath and pushed off the wall, starting to pace in front of her. His earlier anger was back. “Maybe not but <em>why</em>, Rose? Why did you put yourself in danger like that? Why were you being so <em>reckless</em>?”</p><p>Rose swallowed hard and glanced down at her foot, scuffing the heel against the ground. “It was my fault,” she muttered, but loud enough for him to hear.</p><p>He faltered and faced her fully, incredulous. “What was?”</p><p>“Zyalibrik. What happened to him was my fault.”</p><p>“Don’t be ridiculous.”</p><p>“His ship crashed <em>six</em> months ago, Doctor. We would’ve - <em>should’ve</em> acted on it except everyone was so focused on me and my project. What else happened when we were busy - ”</p><p>“Saving the multiverse,” the Doctor interjected. His hard expression softened to one of understanding, laced with sorrow underneath. “Rose, if you didn’t do what you did, there would’n’t’ve been anything left to save. You can’t blame yourself for this.”</p><p>She didn’t answer, knowing he was right but not quite wanting to accept it yet.</p><p>“I read the reports, Rose,” he said, despondent and sombre. “It’s not overtly stated but I could see that you threw yourself into the hopping with no regard for your well-being. Travelling without a shell or shielding of some kind is dangerous in and of itself, not to mention the toll it takes on a person. You didn’t stop, didn’t give yourself time to recover, not unless Mickey, Jackie or Pete made you. What’s more, you wouldn’t even let anyone else try.”</p><p>“No one else would have known the right universe,” she protested weakly.</p><p>The Doctor shook his head. “That’s just an excuse,” he refuted, but not unkindly. “Mickey was just as qualified. He attempted to before you shut him down.”</p><p>“I know,” Rose said mildly.</p><p>“I’m not trying to criticise,” he sighed, defeated, “not when I was no better than you. Every chance I got, I offered myself up for execution because I thought I had nothing to live for.”</p><p>Rose met his eyes, an understanding that their years apart were equally difficult and painful passed between them. She let out a shuddering breath.</p><p>The Doctor broke the stare and paced again, ruffling his hair, agitated. “But you can’t - <em>we</em> can’t do that anymore. Seeing you in danger made me act out and I was so <em>afraid</em> - ” he rubbed a hand over his face, sighing. “It was wrong. He didn’t deserve it. I’ll apologise to him tomorrow. And do the upgrades to the ship myself.”</p><p>His pacing ceased, but he wasn’t done. “It’s only been four months, Rose. Just four months since you found me and we were granted this incredible chance. We’re meant to have a <em>lifetime</em> together. What if something happened to one of us because we were not careful?” His voice grew manic and despairing. Every syllable echoed in her as her heart clenched, not needing to imagine what it would be like without him.</p><p>“These have been the best four months of my life. But what if that’s all I had? I can’t go back to - ” he cut himself short, frustratingly pulling at his hair. He looked at her then, and something in him seemed to snap.</p><p>Striding purposefully, the Doctor crossed the distance between them. He pinned her harshly to the wall and kissed her.</p><p>His lips attacked hers, rough and desperate. Rose could do nothing else but hold onto his shoulders as he wound his arms around her and pulled her in tight. She was surrounded by him, the combination of being crashed into the wall behind and crushed into the body in front making her dizzy.</p><p>"I almost lost you today, Rose. Don't leave me. I can't do the slow path without you, please don't leave me alone,” he pleaded into her lips, not willing to part with her even enough to speak.</p><p>“I won’t,” Rose whispered, “I promised you once, didn’t I? <em>Never</em>.”</p><p>“But you <em>did</em>, Rose, don’t you see?” The Doctor leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes shut. She didn’t need to see his eyes, though, the anguished tone was enough. “You <em>left</em> and now he’s regenerating all alone. I can’t go through it all again, I <em>won’t</em>. Don’t make me, Rose, <em>please</em> don’t make me. Not now that I have you again.” The words broke off in the end as his voice cracked. She felt a tear roll down her cheek. It was his.</p><p>“Okay, Doctor. Okay,” she said, soothing him with her words and her fingers combing through his hair as he let the tension he’d held in his body all day come spilling out.</p><p>They stood there until her legs went numb from standing and her hands had pins and needles from holding them up for too long. But Rose didn’t care, she concentrated on her comforting words and promises of <em>together</em> as his breathing slowed down. They needed the catharsis.</p><p>They both had been pushed to their limit today and anymore conversation would only worsen the matter. But when the time was right, Rose knew they had to talk more about the Doctor’s reactions to her being in danger. And she admitted to herself that being more circumspect was something she needed to work on. The separation made them forget about the consequences their actions could have on the other. But now they had a forever and they needed to put in the work in order to enjoy it.</p><p>Finally, when he calmed down completely and Rose felt the fatigue from the stressful day setting in, she pulled back and cupped his cheek. “Bed, yeah? ‘S been a long day.”</p><p>The Doctor nodded, releasing her from the cage he’d made with his arms. But he only moved further when Rose grabbed his hand and led him inside.</p><p>He halted when he spotted the mess created by the shattered plate. “Let’s clean that up first.”</p><p>“We can do it tomorrow.”</p><p>“No, it’ll be like a bad reminder of today. We won't thank ourselves if we put it off.”</p><p>“Alright,” she acquiesced.</p><p>Grabbing a broom and a mop from the closet, Rose swept as the Doctor mopped behind her for the smaller bits that didn’t get picked up.</p><p>“Is that it?” she asked after she was done.</p><p>“I think there was something under the fridge,” the Doctor said from where he was wringing out the cloth in the sink.</p><p>Kneeling down, Rose reached to find a shard with the lipstick mark still fully intact. Standing back up, she examined it, not having the heart to throw it away.</p><p>“What is it?” the Doctor came up behind her. She wordlessly handed him the piece.</p><p>“I know you said you didn’t want reminders but…”</p><p>The Doctor nodded. He reached into his pocket and a familiar buzzing noise filled the air. “There,” he said, finishing, “It’s seared onto the plate. No amount of scrubbing can remove it. What say we get it framed in the morning?”</p><p>Rose wrapped her arms around his torso, cheek against his chest, still peering down at the mark. “Where do you want to put it?”</p><p>“Once the TARDIS is grown, I want it in there. We’ll make a shelf or something in the console room. Until then, bedside table?”</p><p>“You sure we won’t knock it over with our ah, <em>activities</em>?” she smiled up at him, tongue caught in her teeth.</p><p>The Doctor’s lips ticked up on one side. “On the wall then, <em>Rose Tyler</em>, if you think you can’t contain yourself.”</p><p>Rose affected an innocent look. “I was just thinking of you, Doctor. Didn’t want you to embarrass yourself.”</p><p>“Cheeky,” he mumbled, bending down to kiss her sweetly. After a quiet moment, he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. “Let’s go to bed, Rose.”</p><p>“Yeah,” she agreed.</p><p>On their way up to the bedroom, Rose stopped them briefly to set the piece down on the mantle in the living room. It may be silly, but she felt it was right. It would serve a reminder to a lot of things: that they can get through anything as long as they did it <em>together</em>; when the Time Lord showed them that <em>nothing</em> was worth <em>them</em> after everything they had been through and to never lose trust in each other.</p><p>Most importantly, it was a symbol of their love.</p><p>A lipstick smear on a jagged, broken piece of a plate.</p><p>Perfect.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, if I did this right, you cried over a <i>plate</i>. Ha!</p><p>The idea for Ten's regeneration came from RTD's <i>A Writer's Tale</i>, where he said he wanted to include Rose and Tentoo in the last special but couldn't figure out the logistics so he went with what we saw. So I thought, 'hey! we have fanfiction for a reason!'. If you can, I do recommend giving that book a read.</p><p>I'll be honest with you, I have no idea when I'll post the last part because I have the idea but the<i>writing</i> is going to hard. So, subscribe I guess? If you would like to be notified that is.</p><p>And finally, please do leave a comment! I love hearing your thoughts! This is the <a href="https://super-powerful-queen-slayyna.tumblr.com/post/629103021451870208/dont-leave-superpowerfulqueenslayyna">Tumblr post</a> if anyone wants to reblog.</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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